


Sell My Soul

by midnightweeds



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adult Hermione Granger, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Dad!Tom, F/M, Family, Family Issues, Hermione Granger is So Done, Implied Verbal/Emotional Child Abuse, Married Couple, Possessive Tom Riddle, Unhealthy Relationships, death (mentioned) - Freeform, mom!Hermione
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:47:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24984808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightweeds/pseuds/midnightweeds
Summary: "I don't know why I hoped this would be any different than it is.""That's not fair, Granger. I love you."
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Tom Riddle
Comments: 8
Kudos: 95





	Sell My Soul

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on tumblr for ariana-dumbledore

"You should spend more time with him, Tom," Hermione leaned over the bathroom sink, swiping her mascara brush over her lashes as she studied her reflection down her nose.

Her husband sat on the edge of the tub, still in his pajama bottoms as he listened to her complain. He looked too comfortable, fingers gripping the white edge of the bath and legs stretched out in front of him. She had to ignore the attractive flex of his arms and shoulders, the dark ink of her initials tattooed across his heart and ugly reminder of how manipulative he was. Of how weak she'd been.

"Do you know what he told me yesterday? He told me that he doesn't think you like him as much as you like Naga."

He laughed, short and cold. "Admittedly, Hermione, I don't."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Tom." She closed her mascara and reached for a tube of lipstick, smoothing light pink over lips. "He's your son. He's in love with you, he looks up to you. He's a child. The least you could do is humor him.

"Once he's old enough to understand that his father is a fucking insensitive bastard his mother made a damned mistake on, you can go back to caring more about a pet snake than your own blood."

His eyes were dark when they caught hers in the mirror, jaw pulsing. "Don't sound so bitter, wife."

"I know," she sighed, buttoning her blouse. "I married you. I knew what I was getting into. Just…forgive me for thinking you'd actually care about our child."

Tom watched her pull a sweater on, careful not to mess up her makeup, a small smile on his lips as he observed her. He waited a few seconds after she left the bathroom to follow her, propping his shoulder on the doorframe as she pulled on her dragon-hide boots.

"I'll be gone for a few days. Mrs. Weasley agreed to keep Caius, so you don't have to put yourself out-"

"Leave him, Granger. I'll take care of him."

"Yeah, right!" She got up from the bed to throw a few last-minute things into her bag. "I'll come back and my son will be dead."

"There is no need to be dramatic, dear."

"Dramatic?" She turned to him, disbelievingly. "You just admitted to caring more for Naga than Caius, Tom. Naga."

"I was kidding."

She stared blankly at him before turning back to her task. "All I need you to do is pick him up on Wednesday morning at 8:30. He'll go down for a nap around 9, and I should be home by 10."

"Okay."

She was quiet for a long time, absolutely still as she stood over her duffel bag.

"Hermione," Tom murmured, tugging a hand through his hair as he neared her.

She moved away from his touch, summoning her robes and cloak. As she tugged them both on, he studied the redness of her eyes and understood that she'd been fighting crying during her silence. Before he could say anything more, she sighed.

"I don't know why I hoped this would be any different than it is."

"That's not fair, Granger. I love you."

"I don't care, Tom! I don't care if you love me. I don't care if you even like me. What I do care about is the fact that you can't even fake any emotions toward our son. You don't even begin to make an effort, and you expect him to be fine.

"And don't think I'm blind, Tom Riddle. I know exactly what you have planned for him when he's older. Just know that it isn't going to fucking work, not if you don't make an effort now. Because I'm not going to help you with that."

His eyebrows rose. "So, you can stand behind me using him for my own gain, so long as I show some sort of care for the boy?"

She threw something at him, her anger sweeping across the room. It seemed to crawl over Tom's bare skin, cold and heavy, and he shifted to regain some sort of footing. Some greater sense of self.

"I love you, Tom. I've changed everything about myself- for you. I've sold my soul- for you.

"And I…I would support you in anything, so long as you showed some of recognition to the fact that you have a responsibility. And that he comes before any sort of campaign or attempt at power. But, you can't seem to even understand that.

“I...I don't even know while I bother."

Hermione left almost instantly, leaving to gather her son and head to work. Tom stood in their room, considering her words for a long time before looking down to see what she'd thrown at him. He only really understood what she meant when he realized that it was her wedding ring.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!
> 
> xo, weeds


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